4 O.J. Simpson murder trial verdict
We’ve seen high-profile cases, like the ones against Casey Anthony and Michael Jackson, try to come close to this one, but O.J. Simpson’s trial verdict is still the most shocking live courtroom moment in American TV history. It was almost as if the world stopped in its tracks as it was read aloud that Simpson had been found not guilty of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in front of millions of people watching at home. Some estimates even claim that the verdict was watched by 91-percent of TV viewing audiences at the time, which is a nearly-impossible feat.
It seemed like a mistake at first. The prosecution’s case was apparently open and shut. But somehow Johnnie Cochran and his team were convincing enough to acquit Simpson of any wrongdoing. The whole trial split the country down the middle, seemingly by racial lines, and public outcry was at a fever pitch. Over a decade later, this verdict is still one of the most hotly-debated of all time.
